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Final Fantasy XV To Miss This Year’s E3

June 6th, 2014 by Tony Garsow

Final Fantasy series executive producer Shinji Hashimoto was interviewed by Famitsu on a multitude of upcoming projects, including Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III — both announced at last year’s E3. News has been sparse about these titles, particularly Final Fantasy XV since those announcements in light of Mr. Hashimoto’s assertions to fans that new information would no longer be withheld for long periods of time.

Thanks to SQEX.INFO, a translation has now surfaced. Here’s a snippet with details:

“Well, first I’d like to say that development for FFXV is going well. Internally, we try to ascertain the best timing for revealing new information about FFXV to the fans. So when we were going over our promotion plans, we judged that this year’s E3 would not be the best time to exhibit information about FFXV.

Instead we are currently planning to exhibit new information at events after E3 2014. I am extremely grateful to all the fans who excitedly anticipate FFXV, and I’m looking forward to share new information when the timing is right. I would appreciate if fans hold out until then.”

Regarding misinterpreted reports of an E3 appearance:

“There was a misunderstanding in the reporting of that, a number of stories were accidently mixed into one. When I was asked about FFXV’s presence at E3, the answer I gave was that “I can’t answer yet.” But somehow what I had said was framed in a different context when it was reported.”

In a previous feature, which you can read here, I commented that the minimal amount of information when compared to other long-term Square Enix releases belies a further release window than many are expecting.

If it all seems a bit depressing, it really shouldn’t be.

For all intents and purposes, we should consider last year’s “re-reveal” as what it really is: a restart of the project. Counting the days from the original 2006 announcement onward may seem to stress Final Fantasy XV fans more than need be, as the game has most notably evolved since then and may have shed some of the gameplay ideas we’ve collected over the years. That may be a good thing long-term, as 2006 ideas may not necessarily fit what seems to be a new shift in the Final Fantasy franchise, especially if those ideas don’t reach gamers until a decade after they were conceived.

So what’s Hashimoto really saying?

Simply put, I think it’s just too early to start promotion for the game with the release window they have in mind. That likely means trailers, the Japanese media circuit in Famitsu or Dengeki, so on and so forth. Marketing a game is definitely a huge cost, sometimes rivaling that of development, and to kick things off early again may likely serve to further balloon the cost the “Versus/XV” project has incurred Square Enix over the years.

Final Fantasy XV needing more time may mean that things will be dry on the news front for the near future, and may infer ongoing problems with development, but I think that a rush to launch after a relatively recent production reboot would be far more foreboding.

To conclude: “a watched pot never boils” may serve us better in the interim than “shit or get off the pot”.

You can read SQEX.INFO’s translated Famitsu interview with Hashimoto-san here.

Dammit. Why did I have to be wrong? I was SO SURE XV would be there, not just because of blind optimism, but going off what Hashimoto said about there being more info than before, Nomura saying XV would be at all the major events, Kitase saying the game is quite far into development and it’s a high priority within SE, etc. All that taken together, and the massive improvements XV seems to have had since 2011, I was completely certain. But all my optimism gets me is crushing disappointment.

KH 3 I understand, but not this. KH3 even got a little teaser! That’s more than XV will get. I don’t know how anyone can have a positive outlook on this. Renaming it and changing consoles doesn’t excuse the long wait time. And the long wait would be halfway bearable if SE wasn’t so stubborn about sharing info.

But I’ll get over it. I always do. And the cycle repeats itself. I guess there is later this year. So if it doesn’t even come out within the next couple years (likely at this point), I wonder what they can release.

ladyinred

Theyre trolls, trolls I tell you. Well, this is it – I have now officially given up.

stevenm281

This is ridiculous, either theyre not really working on it or they just dont give a damn about what the fans want to see.

I mean, its been 8 freaking years we’ve been waiting.

Last year, when they decided to reveal it to the public as FF15, it should
have given them an obligation to show it at every E3 until the game
releases. If its too early to show it, then they shouldnt have showed it
last year and told us that it would be finally featured at every gaming
convention and that info would be released on a steady basis.

Square Enix is the most lying company in the video game industry, and it
pisses me off because they are also my favorite video game company.

Tony Garsow

Well, it’s unfortunate that Mr. Hashimoto’s comments were mistranslated, or at least misinterpreted, from the event in Singapore and people had the wrong expectations for E3. However, seeing as the game was re-revealed a year go, it’s disappointing that it will not show up regardless of his comments.

I look forward to future events where they may potentially show off the game or talk about more information — but until there’s tangible information that Square Enix is willing to share, my hype levels are in check.

Liars, liars, liars… I don’t know what more can be said at this point, they just lie their heads off. If they cannot share info about the game, that’s understandable and even appraise-worthy considering the times that we live in and how hard it is to keep things hidden and gaming experiences fresh.

It’s easy to see how a project that began in 2006 for one console then most of it had to be discarded in 2011 and rebuilt from the ground up for another can take a lot of time, especially if it’s going to fulfill everyone’s requirements.

But the most annoying part of this almost decade long wait, is that they won’t let us be part of it. Not only that, but they keep lying to us about it. Last year Nomura comes out and says “We’re breaking radio silence and XV will be present at more gaming events”. Since then, it hasn’t been anywhere. Last February, Kitase says “XV is quite far along in development and a priority within Square-Enix”. How are we supposed to believe that? A few months a go at the Thai gamescom Hashimoto says “We will be bringing XV not only to E3, but to a lot of future events near Asia as well), only to come out yesterday and say that he was “misunderstood” and that XV will not be at E3 and that more news about it will be revealed at a “future date”.

They’ve been doing this for 8 years. If they could just come out and give a little bit of information about it, the people wouldn’t be so disappointed. But they’re acting like they have a top-secret project that they cannot reveal to anyone. They’re forgetting the most vital concept of the entire thing: this is a GAME. And as such, it should be shared with those who are going to play it. Right now they’re acting like spoiled brats that are saying “Nah, nah, you can’t see it yet, it’s not ready!!” They should promote it, like they promoted Lightning Returns with all those “Making of” videos. Their PR management team sucks…

Gonzalo Pollo Vermellón

What a pitty/shame.

I can’t imagine any reason to show off the game at 2013 E3 show, when they changed the name and stuff, and then the next year, when it should be almost on the countdown to release, they decide not to show it to the worldwide fans.

It’s an insult for the FF fans, and a spit on our face, who have been waiting for this game since 2006, and I cannot (and shoudn’t) forget that they announced this game (once Versus XIII) as the EXCLUSIVE Final Fantasy game for the playstation console of the moment (PS3).

Now, aside of broking their own promises, they can also be remembered for hidding their previously announced and shown games.

Gratz SQEX. Downhill and brakeless. -_-‘

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